The Butterfly Effect
by sparklyshimmer2010
Summary: Major Sheppard managed to save Colonel Sumner. He didn't know this one action could affect so many things.
1. Chapter 1

AN (sparkly): This is just something i was curious about, wasn't exactly sure how to write. So this fic is cowritten with Psalm 136 (check her out!). She came up with the wonderful title idea. We will each do a chapter, starting with mine :) This will be a sparky shippy story of course. Hope you enjoy!

* * *

Major John Sheppard roamed the Wraith structure, the little Ancient handheld device in his hand. As he made his way he noticed the strange structure of the walls. How the hell had he ended up here again? Oh yeah, he'd taken that one-way ticket to another galaxy.

But right now his mind wasn't on that right now. He was focusing on his mission. He was going to get them all out of here. Lt. Ford was back with Bates and Teyla and the rest. There were explosives planted at different points. He just needed to find Sumner.

As he made his way around he went to what he thought might be the center of the ship. Looking at the 'life signs detector', he saw four dots nearby. One was white, the other three were red.

Moving in the direction of them, he came across an entryway. He put the detector in his vest pocket, placing both hands on his p-90. Making his way in carefully, he was met with a horrifying sight. In the middle of the room he noticed a couple of distinct things. There was what must be a female Wraith, a creature with pale skin and bright red hair, wearing a long white dress. His commanding officer, Colonel Marshall Sumner, was on his knees before her, his face strained in concentration and shirt ripped, exposing his chest. What she was doing to him John really didn't want to know.

But what really terrified him – and John Sheppard was not a man easily freaked – was what was sitting on a chair at the end of a table.

What must have once been a breathing person, there now sat lifelessly with sunken in eyes and skin that clung tight to the bones. Like he had been sucked dry. His mouth was hanging open in a silenced scream. He looked old. His death had most certainly not been pleasant.

And if he was anything to go by, John needed to get himself and his CO out of there fast.

It must have been a back entrance he had come through, for the back of the female Wraith was to him and there were two masked guards at the other end of the room. They hadn't noticed him yet.

John brought his attention back to the Colonel. Sumner noticed him then. His eyes locked right onto him and his face became more set. Determination shone in his eyes as the Wraith's hand came down to his skin.

John saw the movement and a hail of bullets shot at her. Her hand came out of Sumner's chest before ot had done any serious damage and she shot around to face him. He continued to fire but she just advanced on him, the bullets having no effect. To his horror the wounds were healing right before his eyes. To make things worse he suddenly had the two other Wraith firing their own weapons at him.

And then suddenly more gunfire was coming from the other end. In a few seconds the two male Wraith were down for the count and the female was standing in between two men with guns trained on her. She looked between the two, a thoroughly displeased look on her face. Her teeth bared out disturbingly.

"Sir?" asked Aiden Ford.

Before either could think of what to do, Sumner, who had recovered from his encounter (though he did have a few rather bloody puncture wounds), strode over to one of the dead Wraith and picked up the weapon now on the floor. It was a long weapon, with a pointy end.

Having an inkling of what Sumner wanted to do, John once more shot at the Wraith. She turned to him and before she had a chance to do anything the sharp end of the weapon in Sumner's hands pierced her back and went through the front. She gasped at the impact.

"_That _has to kill you," Sumner growled in her ear from behind. He pulled the spear out and she fell to the ground heaving.

"Light it up!" John yelled into his radio. Several muffled explosions were heard.

"You don't know what you have done," started the Wraith in a raspy voice, "We are merely the caretakers for those that sleep. When I die, the others will awake. _All_ of them." And with her final, ominous, words she died.

"How'd you find us?" John asked, turning to Ford.

The young man nodded to Sumner. "His tread marks. Standard issue. What was she talking about? How many are out there?" he asked nervously.

John took out the life signs detector.

"What is that?" asked Sumner.

"It shows life signs. Crap." The three stared at it as a bunch more dots started popping up on the screen.

"Sirs, I think we should go."

"Bates, we're on the go."

"So are we," came the response, "Colonel Sumner?"

John tossed his radio over to him.

"Right here Sergeant."

"Good to hear you Sir."

"Likewise, now let's get the hell out of here."

The three men made their way out of the Wraith complex, meeting up with the group from the cell. Bates and the other Athosians smiled at John and nodded respectfully at Sumner.

They met with no resistance and were soon in the woods on their way to the Puddlejumper.

Sgt. Stackhouse's voice came over the radio. "Major, the Jumper is secure for the moment."

"We have a problem," Colonel Sumner responded. He turned to Ford. "Lieutenant, take our six." Turning to John, he said, "Let's get these people to this ship of yours."

"Yes Sir."

XXX

Ford fell back to the end of the group. He looked around as they went ahead. Seeing something he was sure was real he fired. But a hand tapped him on the shoulder and when he turned around Teyla took his gun.

"There is nothing there."

"I'm sure I saw something." He took the gun back.

"Only what the Wraith wish you to see. Firing your weapon will reveal our position. Come on."

They started to run off but were cut off from escape by a Wraith ship. It fired at them while sweeping its beam across the ground.

XXX

Colonel Sumner and Sheppard had made it to the Jumper and rushed everyone in. Some of the men looked surprised at Sumner's chest but he waved off their attempts to do anything about it. Once John made sure they were all in, he started running back the way they had come.

He heard Sumner shout his name but ignored it.

XXX

John made it to where Teyla and Ford were on the ground. He shot at the ship which flew away trailing smoke.

"Thank you Sir."

"No problem."

Once again they headed back to the position of the Jumper. They were followed in by the marines standing watch outside. Just before the hatch shut Stackhouse looked up.

"We have incoming!"

John ran to the pilot's seat. Sumner stood behind him and Ford also took a spot in the front, leaving the others in the back.

"Ok now what am I thinking?" John muttered to himself, or rather to the ship. The ship rose off the ground and cloaked. "Everybody ok back there?" he asked, looking around while steadily ignoring the look Sumner was giving him.

"We are well enough," Teyla answered.

"You know, I bet you're a good fighter, huh?" Stackhouse questioned Teyla. Just something about her being a hot alien maybe, but she seemed strong too.

She merely raised an eyebrow at him. "I am skilled at sparring."

He grinned. "Well then, if I get a team I may just have to have you on it." He winked at her and despite the gravity of the situation she was amused.

Ford looked at John and Sumner. "Hope that was the hard part."

As if on cue, now in space, they saw many Wraith ships ahead at the gate. "I don't think we've gotten to the hard part yet." The comment came from Sumner.

"What can we do?" Teyla asked, coming to the front.

"We're safe as long as they can't see us," said Ford.

"They don't have to – there's only one way for us to go. The minute we activate the Stargate they can start shooting blind and blow us away on our approach."

"Then how can we get through?"

"We can draw them away from the gate, then double back," Sumner suggested.

John uncloaked the ship and the Wraith ships immediately went after them, shooting heir weapons. Flying the ship the other away, he started the chase.

"Lieutenant, be prepared to dial the gate on his mark." In answer Ford leaned over the Jumpers DHD.

"See anything like a weapons console over there?" John asked Ford over in the other chair.

Apparently the ship had acted out his thoughts again because what must have been a drone shot out and hit one of the enemy ships as he turned back to the direction of the gate.

"Try and go invisible again," Ford advised.

"I tried, it must be damaged. Dial the Gate." He complied.

The Jumper swerved. "Get ready to punch in your code on the next pass."

"What's the range on these things?"

John shot down two more ships close to the gate. "Enter your code!"He flew fast towards the gate, aware of the ships still tailing them. "Hang on!"

"We're going too fast Sheppard," Sumner said.

"I know."

They flew through the gate and stopped right inside the gate room. This ship had some _nice _inertial dampeners.

They smiled in relief and John felt liking making some comment, but felt compelled to silence as he saw Sumner's eyes on him again.

Before the Colonel could say anything Dr. Weir's voice came over comms. "Colonel Sumner, I see you're alive and well. You can tell me what happened after Carson checks you all out. He'll be meeting you in the ship bay."

"Thank you Ma'am." She signed off.

"So you had her support on this mission?"

John looked at him. Did he really care if he had checked with their civilian leader, or was it just that he was making sure he had followed orders? "Yes Sir, I did. When McKay showed me this ship there wasn't any reason not to try."

Sumner didn't say anything, his face unreadable. But he nodded. "When you went back for Miss Emmagan and Lieutenant Ford here, that should have been me. What if something had happened to you? You were the only one who could fly us out of there." He stared hard at the Major. What Ford had said was true. He had a problem with people who didn't know the proper chain of command and he was going to make sure Major Sheppard knew that.

"Next time be more careful in your need to save everyone, is that understood Major?"

John looked unhappy but nevertheless replied with a quiet, "Yes Sir."

"Good. Thank you for saving us."

This time John's answer was more sincere. "Anytime Sir."

The ship was in the bay now and he landed them smoothly on the floor. As they were all getting out a small medical team came in. Carson headed immediately over to Sumner and another doctor made her way to an Athosian who had his head wrapped up.

Elizabeth had come in with them. She nodded to Sumner and looked around happily at the survivors. She caught John's eyes and their gazes held. They smiled to each other.

He had been successful. So maybe he had woken up the worst threat known to the Pegasus galaxy, but they had their leader back, his CO that couldn't stand him. And with Dr. Weir also in charge, he just knew his time there was going to be something interesting.


	2. Chapter 2

AN (Psalm): I'm sorry that this is a pretty short chapter, but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless. Please drop us a review and tell us what you think!

Chapter 2

When John left his room after showering and changing into a clean set of BDUs, he noticed there was a decided lack of technicians and soldiers milling about the hallways. He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, and, on a whim, checked Ford's room. He wasn't there. Well, it wasn't as though John expected the young man to stay to his room when he was given base liberty, but still…

Major Sheppard turned to the right, but then paused, and decided to go left. There was simply an inkling in his mind that everyone would be to the left. Don't worry; he realized how weird that was, but he'd noticed he felt rather weird whenever he was in the city. He shook his head. It would do him no good to drive himself insane. Then he'd have to see Dr. Heightmeyer, and while he found the woman rather attractive, he didn't want her picking his mind apart. A little too close for comfort for his tastes.

As John waved his hand in front of a door leading out to an open-air terrace, he froze in his steps. They were having a party. He hadn't heard anything about a party. Geez, he was missing some key memos. Unfortunately, while he had been known to be the king of parties before he'd been shipped off to McMurdo, he wasn't exactly in a partying mood. He blamed it on the life-sucking aliens he'd nearly been killed by. Heck, his commanding officer and seven or eight of his comrades had nearly been killed too. They had barely sidestepped DEATH!

Why in the Pegasus galaxy were they having a party?!

John's eyes darkened, and he purposefully avoided eye contact with anyone. He noticed Rodney and Carson (two unlikely souls who had bonded rather quickly) standing off to one side, ogling the gorgeous Athosian women. However, both were too shy to actually approach any of those gorgeous women because they knew they would be stuttering all over the place. Well, not Carson, John mused, but Rodney would. Rodney definitely would. John couldn't suppress a tiny smirk at that thought.

Finally, Sheppard made it to the other side of the rather large crowd and took a deep, relaxing breath as the sea wind brushed against his cheeks. He found some refuge in the distance between himself and the rest of the people. He simply didn't think his fragile mental state could stand any social interaction.

It was like… come on! He had just fought aliens?! What was with that? It seemed like something out of a really bad science fiction show.

"I guess this is home now," Aiden Ford stated as he moved to stand by his superior's side.

John barely turned his head to acknowledge Ford. "I guess so." Crazily frightening aliens aside, there was something about this place… it was uncanny, actually, how he was so willing to accept Atlantis as his new home. He used to feel out of place, but here? He didn't know what was different, but it was as though the very floor accepted his presence.

John could hear the smile in Ford's voice, even if there wasn't a smile on his face. "I'm thinking of a little place with an ocean view. Kind of out of the way."

Before he could make a smart remark in return, he heard a pair of footsteps and straightened up from his leaning position and turned around. He couldn't help the smile, as small as it was, that spread across his face at the appearance of Dr. Elizabeth Weir. Forget that she was carrying some drink that had to be some form of alcohol; it was a relief to see her, and he drew something from how she smiled at him. He 

had yet to figure out what that 'something' was, but it was more than he'd had before.

"Major. Lieutenant," she greeted them and held up mugs for them. They each took one. "I thought the occasion merited opening this. Compliments of General O'Neill."

"Cheers." John toasted, and they clinked their mugs against one another's. His eyes didn't leave Elizabeth's as he took a sip, enjoying the taste. He'd respected General O'Neill before, but now… he hero-worshipped the man.

"You did good, John," she stated strongly.

Sheppard nodded absently. He stared out over the dark ocean, watching the moonlight reflect and dance off of the waves. It was nice out here, he thought as he took another sip. "Thanks," he replied. "But I don't know about that." He knew he should be relieved, happy, even. He'd saved his commanding officer and everyone had returned, more or less in one piece, but the words of that Wraith were stuck in his head. He couldn't help but think that maybe he'd been the cause of the worst plague to ever be released on this galaxy.

Weir raised an eyebrow as she regarded his solemn expression. "There was no other way, John. Nothing else you could have done. And you got your men and Colonel Sumner out, and everyone is safe, and that is what is important." She rested her hand on his forearm, looking him directly in the eyes as she repeated, "You did good."

He turned his head slightly towards her and gave her a half-smile, which she returned readily. He sighed, "But I haven't exactly made us many more friends here."

"No?" She turned around to face the terrace, and all of the people that were gathered there. "Look around you." She watched her people interact with the Athosians, and couldn't repress a smile at Rodney and Carson. She spotted Lieutenant Ford regaling the story of their escape (complete with hand gestures and sound effects) to two especially pretty young women, and even Colonel Sumner engaged in conversation with one of the older Athosian men.

Sheppard turned around as well, his eyes drawn to where Halling and Jinto stood. His heartstrings were pulled when Halling placed his forehead against his son's, and his eyes softened. His attention was drawn away from the family, as Teyla walked over, a serene smile adorning her lips.

"I agree, Major Sheppard." She laid her hands on his shoulders and bowed her head out of respect.

Sheppard glanced around, and met Ford's eyes. Ford grinned brightly, and then John lowered his head to touch his forehead to Teyla's. In that one simple touch, he felt as though maybe he had done something right by being himself. He often got himself in trouble, but this time, something good had come out of it. They had made friends with the Athosians, and he'd helped. He smiled as he closed his eyes, savoring the new friendship he had with Teyla.

Teyla raised her head and looked him in the eye. "You have earned both my friendship and that of my people. With our help, you will make many more friends."

Across the room, Dr. Carson Beckett sighed. "How come I never make friends like that?" he asked wistfully.

"You need to get out more," Rodney supplied, gnawing on the kebab he had found.

"We're in another galaxy, Rodney," Carson pointed out. "How much more out can you get?"

McKay suddenly looked down at his kebab, staring at it suspiciously. "Is there lemon in this?!" He bolted away from his friend to interrogate the kitchen staff on the matter.

Aiden and Teyla walked off together, intent on sampling some of the Athosian food, and John and Elizabeth were left alone at the balcony. John kind of liked just standing there, listening to the wind and the waves (which he really, really wanted to surf on) with his new boss next to him. He glanced to the side at her and knew she was not only a powerful ally in everything they would do in the months and years to come, but a good friend to balance out his willingness to run in head first and her insistence on analyzing the situation.

"Dr. Weir, Major Sheppard," Sumner greeted as he joined them. "Nice party."

"Yes, Sir," John agreed half-heartedly.

"Yes, I thought it was a good idea." Weir smiled, but her eyes strayed to John, simply because she knew he was uncomfortable. She didn't know why, but he was. "John, would you be so kind as to get me some food?"

"Gladly." He smiled broadly at her, risking a wink as he turned to Sumner and nodded respectfully. "Sir."

"Sheppard." Sumner nodded in return. He held the younger man's gaze for a moment, and read his subordinate's face. Sheppard was a good soldier, but he got ahead of himself and forced himself to suffer by forcing himself to believe that everyone could be saved. How easily either one of them, or any of the men, could have been killed in Sheppard's excursion. Nevertheless, Sumner was an experienced officer and could see a good man when he saw one. He knew that John Sheppard was a man to have at his side, and with that thought in mind, Sumner offered John another nod.

John seemed to understand the unspoken message and walked off towards the table where the food was laid out, and Marshall turned to Dr. Weir. "It's good to see you again, Doctor." In an uncharacteristic show of emotion, he gave her a small, but entirely sincere, smile. When he had been facing that Wraith, he had prepared himself to die well and to die defiant. But when he had seen Sheppard behind the Wraith, P-90 in hand, he had dared to hope that he would live to see another day, and he had.

"And you, Colonel," Elizabeth returned, as sincerely as he. "Oh, I've been meaning to ask you about who you think the members of your team will be."

"My team?" Marshall repeated.

She nodded. "We need to get back out there; do what we came here to do," she responded seriously as she turned away, back towards the waves. She took a deep breath and, like John, realized she could find a home here. When she had first joined the SGC, she had never thought she would be here, millions of light-years from home, the leader of the first expedition out of the Milky Way galaxy.

Marshall agreed with her quietly, and the two leaders, one civilian, one military, stood together as two races of humans enjoyed the night and the taste of hope behind them.

Someone had rigged up a CD player, and it was playing some smooth jazz. Members of the expedition were introducing the Athosians to their style of dancing, and Peter Grodin had asked a pretty blonde to dance. Stackhouse led Teyla out onto the designated dance floor, and Carson's blue eyes were sparkling and he was laughing, as one of his nurses pulled him out of the crowd to dance with her.

The Wraith had come close to making this a night of mourning, but through the actions of Sheppard, Ford and their team, it was a time to celebrate life, happiness and new friends. The Wraith were still out there, but the Atlantis expedition just wasn't about to back down.

John noticed when Sumner left Weir to herself, and made his way through the crowd. He stood beside her with a broad grin on his face. "Would you like to dance?"

Elizabeth looked up at him, startled. Then she smiled sheepishly. "No, thank you."

"Oh, come on. It'll be fun. I'll have you know that I am an excellent dancer." He gave her a cocky look and she smiled into her mug.

"Very well." Elizabeth placed her hand into John's, and led her pull her out onto the dance floor. He kept them to the outskirts of the dancers, and he held her at a respectable distance. She smiled up at him. "I think we're all going to become good friends."

"You know," he said as he returned her smile with a roguish one of his own. "I think you're right, Dr. Weir."


	3. Chapter 3

AN (sparkly): So here's my next chapter! Sorry for the bit of a wait. Expect mine to be up slower than Psalms! Anyway, please excuse it if it's a bit slow. We're still sorta setting it up. Enjoy!

Chapter 3

There were a lot of things in life that Marshall Sumner found difficult. Math had never been a strong suit for him, and dealing with Dr. Weir, though he respected her, was certainly among that list of things. But he never thought picking three other people for a team would be one of them. Granted, this was the leading team that was going to go off world whilst in another galaxy. But still, only a four-man team. There weren't too many candidates to choose from and yet he was having a hard time figuring out what exactly he wanted.

Many thoughts had raced through his head for the last few days. Military men (or women), scientists, for they always seemed to be needed. Who would get along well? Who could handle being on the frontline team?

After much debating within himself he had settled on his three people, two of them quite surprising, and he handed in the list to Dr. Weir: Lt. Aiden Ford, Colonel John Sheppard, and Dr. Rodney McKay.

Yes, Marshall had decided to put McKay on his team. He was the best scientist on the city and most definitely had a survival instinct. And he had proven himself brave enough when he had walked into that shadow. At first Rodney had not wanted to be on the team, since there was so much in the city itself to look at. But then going off world on the leading team? Well why not?

Oh yeah, because the one thing everyone knows about the leading team is they pretty much _always _got in trouble. And that's what Rodney was now thinking about. Sure they had given him weapons training, but should he really be doing this?

And Sheppard had been no less surprising. Marshall obviously had somewhat of a problem with him. But no matter what Sheppard's problem with authority was, Marshall knew he was a good man, one he wanted on his team. And he could keep an eye on him easily this way.

At the moment the four of them were stood in the gate room, ready to go out on their first mission together. It would hopefully be an easy, standard meet and greet. However Rodney looked pretty nervous.

"Not nervous are you?" John asked Rodney.

"Oh no. Of course not Major. I mean why would I be?" But his voice betrayed what he really felt and he continued sarcastically. "Especially when I know there are life-sucking aliens out there who probably have it in for us, no thanks to you and Sumner."

"I doubt they are going to be on every single planet we visit."

"Now see they don't have to be. They just have to be on this one."

Aiden rolled his eyes at the annoying man and shared a look with John. Marshall ignored them all. He just looked up to the control room where he saw Dr. Weir standing at a railing watching them. He nodded her before turning to look at Dr. Grodin who started dialing the gate.

With a somewhat sharp command he ordered his team through the gate. He didn't miss the dazzling smile Sheppard sent the good doctor before he went back to bickering with McKay. Despite their fighting, he could tell those two would become friends fast. And Ford would fit in well. Marshall liked Ford. He found the young boy, and yes he was more like a boy, rather amusing.

Dismissing any more thoughts on the men he had picked, he followed them through to the yet unexplored planet.

--

Despite Rodney's worries, their first mission out went fine and they returned to Atlantis exactly as they had when they left, in one piece and unharmed. They had met the local people of Ardon and offered an alliance, as Major Sheppard had pointed out that they needed friends out there. John had been…well John, making his usual comments and trying to get to know them. Rodney had seemed sweet on a rather nice looking blonde, while Aiden had been the pleasant face for the Ardonians, the one they seemed to think the friendliest and liked a lot.

Marshall had been disappointed to find out that they weren't technologically advanced, but if their crop yield managed to be large, when the time came they might be able to offer up some food. So he'd been polite and simply refused the offer to stay a while.

They came back on time and entered the gate room to Dr. Weir's small smile. John personally thought it lit up her green eyes quite nicely. For some reason it sent a warm feeling over him to see her happy and excited about what they were doing. She headed down the stairs to talk to them when suddenly the gate activated again, only having just shut off.

"Raise the shield!" shouted Weir, as she made her way the short distance she had gone back to the control room.

Marshall and his team quickly moved away from the gate, Rodney running for cover, Aiden and Marshall lining up with the other security members. No one off-world, a few teams, was due back yet. John made his way up to the technicians and Elizabeth, where he felt the need to be.

"Any IDC?" she asked the guy with the Canadian flag on his arm.

He shook his head. "No Ma'am."

"Think anyone is in trouble?" John asked.

"Well it is quite possible, isn't it?" She looked at him.

"Reading Sgt. Stackhouse's IDC."

"Lower the shield," Elizabeth commanded, turning to look at the open wormhole.

As soon as the blue flicker indicated it was gone, several blasts came through, hitting various places. A few came to the stairs, but mostly they were focused down in the gate room, where the marines were avoiding getting knocked out. Still, John moved in front of Elizabeth, gently pushing her backwards and out of harm's way.

Stackhouse, Teyla, Lt. Mark Sanders, and Dr. Justin Hill came in, just a little bit out of breath.

"Raise the shield!" Elizabeth said again, though it was unnecessary as the technician had already taken that initiative.

John and Elizabeth rushed down to meet the four gathered in front of the gate.

"What happened out there?" she asked.

"We met the indigenous people, Teyla knew them. Weren't there for much more than an hour before the Wraith showed up. Just a few darts. Since Atlantis can't hold any more refugees at the moment, we sent them through to another planet. Got all of them through and we dialed up Atlantis," Stackhouse replied.

As per his comment in the jumper before, he had indeed been given command of his own team by Sumner and had chosen Teyla like he wanted. Not only was she easy on the eyes, she was easy to get along with (from what he gathered anyway, just don't get on her bad side or she'd have it in for you) and had plenty of worlds with people they could meet. Once Sumner had decided his team and left Stackhouse to pick his (with Sumner's final approval), he had scooped Teyla right up, figuratively of course.

"Anybody hurt?"

Stackhouse smiled at her, feeling the relief at being back. "No Ma'am."

She nodded and smiled back and then addressed all the men, and woman, from the two teams. "Well then why don't you eight head over to the infirmary so Dr. Beckett can just do your post mission checkups?"

"Right away Dr. Weir," Ford said, a little too enthusiastically, causing everyone to glance at him strangely.

As they all made their way down to _lovely _scans and needles, John fell into step with Teyla, a little behind the rest of the group.

"So how are you liking the team?" he questioned.

"They are good men Major. I think things are well," she responded, pausing to look forwards before continuing. "I cannot say that I am sorry not to be with Colonel Sumner."

John chuckled softly. "Yeah, not the friendliest of people is he?"

"No. But many of you have done much to make me and my people feel welcome, including Dr. Weir. Being here is a great opportunity for me and my people. I am only glad that I can help by being a part of one of your teams."

John gave her a smile, though a bit uncomfortable with the formality. He'd have to work up to getting her to calling him John, although in all fairness, he would have to wait a while himself before getting to calling Weir by_ her_ first name. "Well we're glad to have you," he told her sincerely.

She nodded to him and they made the rest of the walk to the infirmary with some small talk and Earth references Teyla didn't understand.


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note (Psalm): Hey guys, I tried to make this one longer, and I hope you like it. And I tried to stay true to the episode, but I changed a few things around for my own amusement. Enjoy, and review!

Chapter 4

"We're on final approach, Colonel," Sergeant Stackhouse announced from the pilot's seat, Sanders and Dr. Hill seated around him. He risked a glance into the back compartment where Major Sheppard was sprawled, unconscious. "Dial the Gate, Sanders," he ordered calmly, his eyes focused on the Stargate. His shoulders relaxed when he saw the event horizon appear.

"Get us home, Sergeant," came Sumner's voice as he knelt by Sheppard's side.

"Yes, sir." He let out a sigh of relief, and instructed the Jumper to retract the drive pods. Everything seemed to be fine, and his only thought at the moment was, Thread the needle, baby, thread the needle. He piloted the Jumper into the Gate, and felt himself entering the event horizon, and then didn't feel anything more.

Power was cut, and everyone felt around for flashlights until McKay could restore minimum power to the back compartment. Ford crawled his way back into the open area by way of his still-materialized arm, and then started to take stock of the situation. He looked over to Sheppard who was barely coherent. The older man gave a small groan, and Teyla cushioned his head with her expedition jacket.

"Colonel Sumner?" Sumner's radio crackled to life. "What's happened?"

Marshall gave Sheppard's upper arm an encouraging squeeze before he stood up and moved so Ford could crouch by John and help Teyla keep him awake and talking. Dr. McKay had already attached his datapad to the back compartment's crystals and was taking readings. Marshall took his radio from his vest pocket and held it in his hand as he rubbed his forehead. Out of all of the things that might have happened and all of the things that had already happened on this mission, he hadn't expected the Jumper to be unable to actually get through the Gate. Great.

"Dr. Weir, this is Sumner. It appears the Jumper got stuck. Sergeant Stackhouse and his entire team, 

except for Teyla, are in the dematerialized section, the forward section, of the Jumper," Sumner reported, and then grimaced slightly when John seemed to fully awaken and groaned as the freaky bug started to suck a little bit more on him. "And Sheppard seems to have attracted some sort of… insect."

"Insect?" Marshall tried not to cling onto the odd fact that Weir seemed a little too concerned. If he wasn't going crazy (but he might be), she definitely sounded worried. He found comfort in the fact that she'd probably be concerned for anyone with an insect clinging to their necks.

"Yes," he affirmed, and then proceeded to give a rundown of the day's events. "We arrived on the Wraith planet, and left Stackhouse's team to guard the Jumper. We saw the Hive ship had left the planet, but not every Wraith was gone. We were pursued by a few Wraith soldiers, and as Sheppard was ducking to avoid some enemy fire, he got caught in some type of web, and an insect attached itself to his neck."

"… Okay." After a slight pause, Dr. Weir seemed to have digested all of the information he had given her, and she was ready to take action. "I've called for Dr. Beckett to see if there isn't anything we can do to help him. The science team is assembling to figure out the problem."

"Elizabeth!" Rodney caught her attention as he turned his face to his own radio. "I think…" He fumbled with his datapad for a moment. "I think the drive pods didn't fully retract. We took a hit from the Wraith on our way to the Gate."

"Alright, thank you, Rodney," Elizabeth responded. "How's he doing, Colonel?"

Sumner glanced back at his subordinate. John was deadly pale, and he didn't seem to be moving. The only sign that he was actually awake (or alive, but Sumner didn't like to think about that) was his moving eyes and his soft, though passionate, insistence that he hated insects. Marshall smirked slightly and pressed the side of his radio.

"He's awake and talking, but he doesn't look too good." He was momentarily distracted by Teyla's voice. "What?"

"I think this insect is related to the Wraith. My father once told me stories of such an insect, but I thought he was merely trying to keep me close to camp," she repeated to Sumner as she gently brushed some of John's hair from his sweaty forehead. Already, he had become such a friend for her, and it was hard to see him in such agony.

"Teyla thinks the bug is similar to the Wraith." He examined John's condition. "It does seem to be sucking the life out of him; she could be right," he admitted to Dr. Weir.

A calming Scottish brogue came over the radio. "Well, Major, I hear you have something of a cling-on."

Ford couldn't help but snort, and the left side of Sumner's mouth curved upwards. Teyla didn't understand the reference, and he promised to explain when they got back to Atlantis. Even John couldn't help but smile a little bit.

Sumner supervised as Dr. Beckett gave Ford different instructions after the young lieutenant had reported what was in the emergency medical pack. Marshall couldn't help a hiss at the side of the insect sucking more out of the soldier. He finally couldn't stand seeing Sheppard let out a pained yell every two seconds. The nine-millimeter incident hadn't been his idea either.  


"Lieutenant, I order you to stop," Sumner finally snapped as McKay managed to close to bulkhead doors. "Nothing is working, so we might as well spare him from more pain."

"Thanks, sir," John groaned as the disgusting bug on his neck took another sip of the John Sheppard experience.

Another voice crackled over the radio, and Sumner couldn't help but scowl when he heard who it was. Kavanaugh. That arrogant bastard tested Sumner's patience whenever he walked by with that annoying ponytail and those glasses the high school jock in Marshall just wanted to punch off. Even though he was smart in his own right, Marshall knew, while McKay had, Kavanaugh hadn't earned the right to be that insufferably arrogant.

But he digressed.

"Dr. McKay, I would advise stopping whatever you're doing. You might set off the drive pods and send an explosion into Atlantis," Kavanaugh snapped, a tone that Sumner recognized in his voice. Kavanaugh was worried that an explosion would occur and he'd be hurt. The high school football player in Sumner had an odd urge to squeeze the life out of the scientist.

But that'd just be **so** wrong.

Eh. Maybe for his birthday.

Rodney didn't pause in his workings. He was skilled enough to do some of the most complicated and delicate work in two galaxies and still give an annoying underling a good zinger. "Kavanaugh, I know exactly what I am doing." He glared at the event horizon, probably imagining doing something really technological and painful to his fellow scientist. "Just get Zelenka on the line!" he ordered.

"Yes, Dr. McKay?" Radek's accent was stronger, a sure sign that he was too busy wracking his brain for any solutions.

"You're working on a Jumper, right?" After an affirmative from the Czech, Rodney went off onto a scientific monologue, pausing only for affirmatives or negatives. Sumner knew the two were working on some solution, but he didn't have the energy to try and translate everything they were saying.

"I've got it!" Radek announced excitedly. "I'm sending the data over to your pad right now."

Rodney looked over at the others with some form of hope on his face. "Okay, I don't think we're going to get asphyxiated."

"Oh, good," Teyla's entire being radiated relief.

"Note I said 'think'," he corrected bossily.

Sheppard ground out, "Rodney!"

Marshall almost felt bad for the major. One wasn't that intimidating with a bug attached to one's neck. Sumner knelt down in front of his second-in-command. "How you doing, Sheppard?"  


"Well…" John fought to keep his eyes open as he drew in a shaky breath. "I think I'll be okay as long as we get back to Atlantis pretty soon."

"Working on it!" Rodney snapped, huffing. "Excuse me if my hands are a little shaky because I'm nervous that we're going to be dead within, oh," He pretended to glance at his watch. "I don't know, twenty-two minutes?"

"You are so not helping, McKay," Ford told him with a hard stare that made the scientist turn back to his work.

"Thank you, Aiden." Teyla gave him a strained smile as she held Sheppard's shoulder as he convulsed with pain. "Major Sheppard, stay with us."

"Tryin'," John managed to force out, and she smiled at the effort, fluffing his makeshift pillow as a reward.

Sumner was almost going crazy. He was stuck in the back compartment of a Jumper with four other people, one of whom had an insane looking insect attached to his neck. McKay was working as fast as he could, but he only had about twenty minutes left. Kavanaugh of all people was working with his research team, but his negative little mind could only come up with worst-case scenarios. Meanwhile, he was probably whining and bitching about how this so wasn't good for his image. Sumner could only hope Weir would diplomat-slap him back into his place so a solution could be found.

"Sir," Marshall looked up from his musings to acknowledge Ford. "I'd like to try the saltwater again on Major Sheppard, if that's alright with you."

Sumner looked at Sheppard, and then nodded to Ford. He watched carefully as Ford administered a small dose of saltwater onto the soft underbelly of the insect, as per Dr. Beckett's orders. Sheppard let out something that could only be described as a muffled scream and lashed out at Aiden, who was pushed back into Dr. McKay. Rodney's hand slipped, and his hand hit something, and the Jumper slid in further.

"Oh crap." Rodney stared at the glittering event horizon which had slipped past the bulkhead doors. Now, there was no way they could hope to use the back compartment as a lifeboat. "We are so screwed. We are so screwed."

"Shut up, Rodney, and keep workin," Sheppard ground out as he gasped for breath.

Dr. Weir stalked across the bridge from her office to the control room, only to find her pathway blocked by the one and only Dr. Kavanaugh. She folded her arms across her chest and stood defiantly in front of him. She felt irritation bubbling underneath her skin and she longed to slash her nails across Kavanaugh's face. He was standing between her and checking up on her flagship team. She could kill him.

"I cannot believe you just busted me like a private," he complained.

"The Air Force doesn't have privates," Dr. Weir pointed out airily.

He snorted. "Yeah, and neither do I. You just cut them off."

"Is this about your ego? Because believe me, I am willing to dial up the most lonely, uninhabited planet where you can be as self-important as you want," she threatened, and by the flashing of her eyes, she hoped Kavanaugh could tell it wasn't an empty one. She was more than open to the idea of telling Peter Grodin to dial one of the numerous planets that had not been touched by human life.

"Or," Elizabeth began once more. "Is this because you're embarrassed?"

"More like humiliated." He gesticulated, completely baffled by this woman's behavior. "You know, the reason I signed up for this was because I was up to here," He gestured to his neck. "With the military running things."

Dr. Weir wasn't about to take his bait and get frustrated. She had more important things to do than deal with someone like him. "You know, Dr. Kavanaugh, you go back into that room and find a way to save our people," she ordered him evenly, and then walked around him and nearly hugged Peter when he stood up between Kavanaugh and herself.

"Rodney?" she said as she tapped her radio.

"Eighteen minutes, Elizabeth!" Rodney commented almost casually.

"How is everyone?" she persevered.

Sumner responded this time. "We're okay. Sheppard's still with us. Have you got anything for us?"

"No, no, they're still working on it." She sighed. "Dr. Beckett thinks he might have something, though."

"Colonel?" Carson asked, looking particularly worried as he gazed upon the open event horizon.

"Here, doctor."

"Teyla said the insect is similar to a Wraith, right?" he asked.

"Yeah, that's what she said."

Carson took a deep breath, his eyebrows furrowed worriedly. "Then, if its prey is dead, the insect would presumably let go."

Sumner seemed to pause in contemplation. "I suppose so."

"Carson, are you kidding me?" came Sheppard's weak voice.

"I know, Major Sheppard, and I'm sorry. I just can't think of anything else, any other way we could save you." Elizabeth really felt for Beckett, with the way he was leaning against a console, his head bent forward.

Elizabeth forced down the feeling of panic that threatened to overwhelm her at the thought of someone defibrillating one of her people. That was basically killing them. Of course, it was possible to resuscitate a 

person after defibrillation, but there was always a risk.

"Dr. Weir?" came John's weak voice.

"Yes?"

"You know, I've needed to tell you something for a while now."

Elizabeth stiffened, and set her jaw. "You can tell me when you get back, John." She hated herself for how her voice wobbled when she said his name.

"But--," She cut him off.

"Tell me when you get back," she repeated firmly. She would not allow herself to believe anything other than the **fact** the two teams would return.

"Okay."

And with that, Elizabeth waited for a miracle to happen: the insect to be removed, John to be resuscitated and for the scientific team to find a way to get the two teams back.

It could happen, she told herself. It had to happen.


	5. Chapter 5

AN (sparkly): Ok sorry this is so late! I was just having a hard time writing it. But here it is, I think you'll like it. i gave you a long one, the longest chapter I've ever writen in fact. Thanks for the alerts and reviews so far! What do you all think of Sumner? Are we doing a good job with him?

And so you guys know, we won't just be following the episodes. We have some completely new stuff planned, starting chapter seven. Enjoy!

Chapter 5

Carson and his medical team were busily working when Elizabeth walked into the back of the jumper. The first thing that caught her attention was Aiden lying on a gurney with an oxygen mask over his face. Grasping his hand quickly, she moved past and nodded to both Teyla and Sumner before her eyes landed fully on John.

A weight fell to her shoulders now that it was all up to the doctors. There was nothing she could do except watch and listen as the machine registered his nonexistent heartbeat. At least that damn bug was off of him.

Wanting to take her eyes away from it, she glanced around at the others who had been in the jumper. Stackhouse, Sanders, and Hill were all looking a little shell shocked. Well, they wouldn't have known they got stuck. It wouldn't have felt long to them, would it? She would have to ask Rodney about that later.

She turned to the scientist and said, "Well done, Rodney."

"Yes Doctor, Well done," Marshall agreed.

"We'll see," he responded and the three of them turned back to John, who was lying there, technically dead. But he would make it, he had to. That miracle had to be _completely _fulfilled.

And then, after another few moments or so of waiting in agony, they had a steady pulse.

"He's going to be okay." Dr. Beckett's voice rang out and the occupants of the rather crowded ship all sighed out in relief.

Elizabeth sagged down onto one of the seats in the back compartment, holding her face tight. She was trying to let show just how thankful she was that John was alive. It had been a close call. Almost too close 

for sanity's sake. She hoped to god that this would not be an often occurrence, but even as she did she knew she could not be so lucky. Not when it involved John anyway.

Marshall came over and sat down beside her, placing a strong, comforting hand on her shoulder as they waited for John to wake up. She sent him a somewhat surprised to look, but didn't allow herself to think too much of the gesture. Who was to say Sumner wasn't soft? She was just grateful for the silent support.

In a minute they were wheeling John off to the infirmary where he would be watched over for a day or so, most likely unwillingly. When everyone had passed, Elizabeth and Marshall stood to follow.

--

"How are you feeling?" Elizabeth asked, walking to the end of John's bed.

"Starving," was his simple answer.

Rodney smiled. "He's got quite the hickey, but Dr. Beckett says he'll be fine in a few days."

Rodney and the other two members of the team, plus Teyla and Elizabeth, were visiting him now that he was settled. They had all changed out of their working clothes. The guys were all clad in casual khaki pants, Ford in a t-shirt and Marshall and Rodney both in button up shirts. Teyla was in a very colorful top.

"We should let you rest," said Teyla.

"No, you should get me food."

Elizabeth smiled at him. Yep, he was alive. "I think we can arrange that," she told him.

"Would you like a turkey sandwich, sir?" Aiden asked with a large grin.

John nodded eagerly. "Sounds good. Thank you. For getting me back here and everything."

"You're welcome," answered McKay.

"Good night," said Teyla.

Aiden, Teyla, and Rodney moved to the door.

"Welcome back Sheppard," Sumner told John with a small smile, before he too left the room. As he went out, he caught Elizabeth's eyes and his mouth moved to show the barest hint of a frown, though you couldn't tell because he had been trying to be pleasant as of late, especially to Sheppard. He paused. She was staying obviously. Was she going to ask him what he had been going to say? It wasn't exactly his business, but he wondered…It was directed especially to her. What could he possibly be needing to say? And for a while now? Marshall racked his brain, coming up with only two explanations. One, he had been going to say he was glad to be working under her. The other, was a bit more emotional.

But who was he to say that was even remotely right? It wasn't his place to know, and he had no real evidence that Sheppard felt for the good doctor more than he was allowed to.

As he shook the thoughts off, he realized both John and Weir were staring at him questioningly, so he quickly nodded once to each and hastily made his exit.

That left Elizabeth, in her casual t-shirt and brown jacket, to deal with the slight unease that had just blown in.

"So uh, what did you want to say?" she asked, now that they were alone.

"When?" He pleaded innocent.

"Before, when you thought…" she was unwilling to say it. "You know…you said you had something that you had been meaning to tell me."

"Oh that." His voice sounded reluctant.

"I didn't want you to say it at the time, but you can tell me now that you're back."

"Right. Um…" he hesitated and looked up at her searchingly. For a moment she got caught up in his green eyes. "Listen, I – I did think I was going to die. What I wanted to say, I still do," he scrunched up his face, "just not yet. I'm not comfortable with saying it right now."

Elizabeth rose and eyebrow at him. She was unsure about this and definitely disappointed. She really wanted to know and refused to guess herself. Nevertheless, she let him be with his decision. "Alright, but you'll tell me someday?"

He smiled softly at her a heart melting smile and the nurse he had been flirting with earlier just rolled her eyes at the sight from off in the corner. "Someday," he said, "I promise."

"Good."

--

A week or so later, as John sat on the bed in the infirmary waiting for Beckett to check out his neck, which seemed to have a little bit of an infection, a few medics rolled in Dr. Hill, unconscious and lying on a gurney. They placed him on the bed next to John.

Carson quickly checked him over, pronouncing to Stackhouse, "Dr. Hill will have some temporary paralysis from the effects of the stunner blast straight to the face, but he'll be fine."

"Thank you Doctor."

Just then Elizabeth and Marshall walked over together and John immediately jumped off his own bed to go stand with his two bosses.

"What happened?" he asked.

"That's what we'd like to know," said Elizabeth.

"Same old thing, Ma'am," answered the awake member of the team.

"Which makes it the fifth time out of how many missions?"

He thought for a second. "Nine…So something is up."

Marshall spoke up. "Well I for one think it's pretty damn obvious now. We have a spy in Atlantis."

--

A little while later, Marshall, John (as the military second in command), Stackhouse, Hill, and Sanders were all waiting in the conference room, Stackhouse and his team standing slightly away from the other two military members.

Justin was currently making weird faces, stretching the muscles of his rather young looks, opening and closing his mouth, then pushing his lips side to side.

"What are you _doing_?" asked Sanders to his new friend.

"Well in case you've forgotten," he made a fish face, "I was hit by a wraith stunner," here he paused to puff out his cheeks, "right in the face. Doesn't feel so good. My face is still numb and it's kinda hard to talk. So shut up and let me look stupid."

Mark snickered and let him at it. However, Justin stopped right away when Sgt. Bates and Weir walked in.

"Alright, let's get started," Elizabeth said. They all sat down and the automatic doors shut.

"Shouldn't we wait for Teyla?" Stackhouse wondered aloud to her.

"Teyla wasn't invited Jeremy."

"But she's a member of my team. Doctor." He added her title at the end, to show his respect, but letting her know he wasn't going to let that one slide.

"She's also an Athosian," explained Bates.

"So?" John said and Marshall shot him a warning look. Here were those problems in the Major he had disliked at first and worried about.

"If we've been compromised, and every indication suggests that we have, it is almost certain that one of them is responsible."

"We're talking about Teyla," said Stackhouse. The two of them were friends, and he trusted her largely.

"I don't like it either –" started Elizabeth.

"Then can we please get her in here?" John nodded in agreement.

"– But the safety of this base and its personnel are my main concern right now."

"As it should be yours, Sergeant," Sumner told him with a stern look to both of the contentious men.

Elizabeth continued. "The wraith have shown up on the last five of the nine planets your team has visited and given the fact that two of those worlds were unpopulated, we can pretty much assume that they have been alerted to your missions by someone on this base."

"If someone on this base was communicating with the wraith, then why hasn't Atlantis been attacked?" asked Hill.

John gave Elizabeth a look, pointing to Justin. "That's a good point."

"Maybe we should just stop using the Stargate indefinitely," suggested Bates.

"We can't do that…"

"Why not?"

"Because we need ZPMs to power this place."

"Things seem to be running fine right now," mentioned Sumner.

"Ok sir, when the wraith do show up – and they will – how do we defend ourselves?"

"Or for that matter how do we get back to earth?" put in Sanders.

"This is the only Stargate in the Pegasus Galaxy that can even reach earth, and if it comes to that we're going to have to use the self destruct before the Wraith take the city," said Elizabeth.

"Bottom line: We need to use the gate," said John and Sumner nodded in acknowledgement.

"Then we've got to find out who's responsible ASAP. I suggest we start by confining all non-base personnel to the south side of the complex," stated Bates.

"Are you kidding?" John's voice was annoyed.

"That's the absolute minimum we should do. And –"

"And I agree," said Marshall, with yet another look in the Major's direction.

"Steps should be taken to safeguard the more sensitive areas of this facility. It's only reasonable," Elizabeth commanded diplomatically.

"Bates, you're in charge of security, what do you suggest?" Marshall turned to the dark skinned man.

"I recommend no go zones starting with Stargate operations, the labs, power generation and the Jumper bay."

"I'd like to meet with every Athosian on this base. I mean they've been here three months. I only know a handful of them by name," mentioned Elizabeth.

Neither Sheppard nor Stackhouse, or anyone else form Stackhouse's team for that matter, looked particularly thrilled, but they consented when Bates said he could start setting up interviews as soon as they were finished.

"Alright, and in the mean time, all gate travel is suspended until further notice," Elizabeth completed.

--

As Teyla was attempting to get passed the marine at the bottom of the steps, Sgt. Stackhouse came out from the conference room and made his way to where he saw her standing, a not too happy look on her delicate, yet strong, features.

"I was unaware a meeting had been called," she told him slowly, as Weir and Sumner walked by above.

Why don't you uh, follow me for a sec, K?" Jeremy asked.

He maneuvered them into the direction that would take them to the gym, where she could beat his ass in her sparring sport if she felt the need to let off some steam after this talk.

"What is happening?"

"We're pretty certain there is a security leak on Atlantis. We're going to have to take some precautions."

"Such as?"

"Er, suspending gate travel temporarily, tightening security, and well, making sure we know more about your people." He winced inside.

"You suspect an Athosian?" she sounded disbelieving, maybe slightly appalled.

"Doctor Weir wants to meet them all herself," was all he said in response.

"You're aware of the horrors generations of my people have faced at the hands of the wraith, you were there the day we had to be rescued from their ship. Yet you would still question their loyalty?"

"Teyla, there are people around the city that we know nothing about, people that we don't know."

"I know each and every one of them. I would stake my lives on their innocence."

"Look, each time we go through the gate, some ugly aliens with clammy skin try to kill us. Now I'm not particularly fond of that." He looked at her sincerely. "We're just asking for some cooperation, Teyla."

There was a pause while she considered his words and Dr. Weir's position as leader with this problem. Though she knew it was not possible her people were involved, and had somewhat expected her people to be somewhat more accepted, she answered him, only slightly impolitely, "You shall have it."

And then she walked away, only to be cornered 15 minutes later by John and not long after that by Colonel Sumner, both wanting to make sure she understood the situation. John had defended Dr. Weir more so than the other two, while Colonel Sumner had been mostly gruff. She gave them both curt answers before heading over to Halling's quarters.

--

Both Marshall's and Stackhouse's teams stood in the gate room, geared up and ready to go on a mission now that they were going to try things with the Athosians living on the mainland John and Aiden discovered. These two teams seemed to fall together naturally, and although there would be missions suited fine for only four men, in case the Wraith came they wanted to have some backup. And in all of their minds, the Wraith coming was a good opportunity since not one of them believed Teyla's people had anything to do with it. Not even Marshall.

Yes he was suspicious by military nature, but even only after a little bit of time he was positive they were harmless. Ok, not completely harmless as those two kids had caused some problems before, but capable of betraying them to the Wraith? Never. Marshall simply didn't care for the Athosians so much on account that he didn't talk to them unless necessary.

But that was off topic, and now Elizabeth was walking over to them.

"Anxious to step through the gate again Major?"

"Yes I am," he said with a small smile.

"We all are," Teyla put in.

Sumner watched as John and Elizabeth continued to talk, bantering a bit. John's eyes were sparkling at her. Was this going to happen every time they left?

"You like us to bring back anything special?" John asked.

"Oh, no thanks."

"Groceries? A new outfit? Flatware…?" She had some nice outfits on her own though, he thought.

"Hmm no…just yourselves…in one piece please." Of course she meant it. "Dial it up," she called to the control room.

He caught her last words, soon to be something she said mostly every time they stepped through. "Be safe."

--

Despite her words, not too long after the team had left to check out the ruins they came rushing through the gate. She watched in dread as John was wheeled away unconscious, but calmed herself knowing that that was all that might be wrong.

"We have to go back," Rodney said immediately.

Then she noticed two people were missing.

"Teyla? Lieutenant Ford?"

"Still on the planet. We have to go back now!"

Elizabeth was surprised at the forcefulness behind his voice.

"We can't go back there, not yet Doctor. There are Wraith all over the gate," Marshall said.

"We can't just leave them there," Rodney pushed.

Setting it aside, just for the moment, Elizabeth moved them all up to the control room where they could explain. Sgt. Bates joined them.

"How many?" she asked.

"It's hard to say. Most of them were behind the tree line," Marshall informed her.

"We're wasting time here we need to mount a rescue operation." McKay was still agitated.

"I'm not going to send anyone through that gate until I have all the facts Doctor. How did Teyla and Lt. Ford get separated from you?" She turned to Marshall.

"They went to try and make contact with some of the local people."

"Whose idea was that?" Bates asked suspiciously, just as John joined them.

"Shouldn't you be back at the infirmary?" Elizabeth noticed with some concern.

"No I'm fine. I didn't take a full blast."

"To answer your question Sergeant, it was mine." Marshall gave Bates a pointed look. He seemed to be good at those.

"The natives of that planet are easily spooked. Teyla thought we'd scare them off with a big group," John said.

"Teyla did..." Bates pointed out, although a bit hesitantly.

Stackhouse came into the conversation. "What do you mean by that Bates?"

Now he looked annoyed, glancing from John to Marshall. "She was conveniently absent during the ambush, sirs."

McKay responded with a sarcastic remark from where he stood looking at the gate. "So was Ford maybe it was him?"

"It's been six times Stackhouse's team has been compromised. Only one Athosian knew about this last mission."

Before anyone else could say anything more the gate activated.

"We have an unscheduled off world activation. It's Teyla's IDC. Receiving a radio transmission," the technician notified.

The missing Athosian's voice came over the radio, pleading. "This is Teyla. Lieutenant Ford has been wounded. The Wraith are closing in on our position."

"Put down that shield and we could be opening up this base to a wraith attack," said Bates.

"Atlantis, please let us through!"

"Lieutenant Ford can you confirm the situation?"

But he couldn't because he was unconscious.

John looked at Elizabeth in anger and some disappointment. She decided she didn't like that look.

"Open up the damn gate!"

"Major!" snapped Marshall.

"Please sir," asked Stackhouse.

There was silence for a moment and then Marshall and Elizabeth caught each others' eyes.

"Lower the shield," she said.

Teyla came through dragging Aiden with her.

--

"I can't believe I'm doing this. Does he seriously think – she is so going to kick my ass…" Rodney was muttering to himself when Marshall came into the lab to see him. Whatever reason he had come for was 

quickly washed from his mind as he stopped short at the sight of what had to be Teyla's bag and belongings scattered on the table.

"What are you doing Doctor?" he asked sharply.

Rodney's head shot up, eyes wide and panicked. "I know how it looks. It was a special request from Sergeant Bates."

There was that look again. Rodney briefly wondered if he practiced it. It was worse this time though. He looked downright pissed. "Is that a fact?"

"Er, well, yes," Rodney answered truthfully.

"In the future, if you get a request from anyone to –"

"The thing is he was right Colonel."

He continued at Marshall's raised eyebrows. "I know I was surprised. Look at this." Rodney picked up a familiar necklace. One he hadn't seen Teyla without often. "It's her locket. It's a transmitter; it's been broadcasting a continuous signal. I wouldn't even have noticed if I hadn't been looking for it specifically."

"Well let's go get Major Sheppard and Sergeant Stackhouse and we'll meet with Doctor Weir in the conference room."

--

"Ah Teyla!" Rodney caught up with Teyla.

"Yes Doctor McKay?" What was it with all these Earth men talking to her seperatly?

"Uh look. I know you don't know me that well, but I just wanted to let you know that I would never just decide to go through your personal things. So, uh I wanted to apologize."

"Thank You Doctor, it is alright."

"Right." He smiled a bit goofily. "Well I think Ford wanted to see our teams?"

"I will be there soon, please tell them?"

"Yeah sure."

She smiled and headed off.

--

John passed through the control room, glancing back with a smile at Teyla and Elizabeth talking. Thank god they had figured out the Wraith problem. _Thanks to Bates _he thought disgustedly. But it was John and his mutant gene who had managed to activate the tracker device when he found the necklace in the cave back on Athos.

And now he was on his way to meet up with their prisoner. Although Sumner wasn't letting him interrogate him alone. The two men met up outside the doors that opened up to the cell.

With simple nods of greeting to each other they headed in to see the hideous green skin and long white hair. Well as long as they didn't have colorful hair and red noses.

"Again? Your kind is persistent. I would have thought you'd given up by now."

"Ah hell We've got all the time in the world. Now you on the other hand…" Neither man so much as flinched as the Wraith's hand shot out, stopped by the blue force field. John smirked. "I give you a week, maybe two."

"I don't know Major, he could very well last longer."

"Well like I said sir, we've got all the time in the world."

It – he – hissed. "You waste your time. I'll provide you with no information."

"I wonder how bad the hunger is?" Marshall said.

"Yeah we'd love to help you out –"

"No we wouldn't."

"Ok, no we wouldn't. And as McKay put it – we can't meet your dietary requirements."

"When I am free, you both shall be the first that I feed upon." It hissed again, this time showing more teeth. Ok that was disturbing.

"Okie dokie...I'm going to go make myself a sandwich," John said happily.

"Human. You think you've won a victory by my capture. But by bringing me here you've only hastened your own doom. It's only a matter of time before the others of my kind come to rescue me and when they do, they'll be nowhere on this world you can hide."

"Stay positive now…"

"Please he's going straight to hell," said Marshall.

And they left their prisoner, trying hard to ignore the unsettled feeling he had left on them.


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Notes (Psalm): Okay, this one has a few naughty words and some heavy material, and I'd rate this chapter T to be safe. Read at your own risk, but it probably isn't anything you haven't read in the fanfiction world already. And I am so sorry for the delay… that was my bad, haha.

Chapter 6

"Are you kidding me?" Sumner grunted as he tightened his safety restraint. Apparently there was some field around the planet that was messing with the technology, and they were going down for a wonderful little crash landing. Marshall was going to kill somebody. Probably not Sheppard, because he was a good pilot. Marshall needed him, even if he was a bit annoyingly insubordinate sometimes. That just seemed to be his way, and Marshall realized he needed to accept that. McKay couldn't be replaced for that big old brain of his, and Sumner liked Ford. Ford was a good kid.

Darn it. He couldn't kill anyone. Maybe Kavanaugh, when they got back. If they got back, he reminded himself cynically.  


Sumner let out a heavy groan as he very keenly felt the crash. The shock went up through his feet, to his ribs, jarred those a bit, and then stopped in his head, smashing his skull back against the seat. The cushion-like apparatus helped somewhat, but it didn't really help the ringing in his ears.

"Okay, report." Sumner said as he undid his safety harness.

"We crashed, sir." Sheppard pointed out as he stood up, rubbing his head.

"Good landing, Major." Ford complimented.

"Thank you." John smirked.

Marshall gave Sheppard a look, and then turned to McKay. "What happened?"

Rodney wasn't listening. He was arguing with Ford for something (a compass? Sumner didn't want to know) and when the young man finally handed it over, McKay let out a sound. It might have been one of relief or one that foretold their imminent doom. Sumner hadn't spent enough time with the scientist to really get the nuances of his behavior down. He was really going to need to remedy that or he was going to be stuck in this wonderful wondering of whether there was a solution or they were all going to die.

And he really didn't like not knowing which of the two was going to happen.

"The field that forced us to crash land?" McKay started. "It was electromagnetic. Ford's compass is absolutely useless to us, as is the rest of our technology. However, if we can find the power source and turn it off, the field doesn't exist anymore and we can go home."

"Great." Sumner praised sarcastically. "How do we find the power source?"

Rodney shrugged slightly, his temperament suspiciously mild. Sumner was already onto this man. "I don't know, Colonel, just find it?" He said as though it was obvious. And it was obvious, but it wasn't the answer Sumner wanted.

"Great." He ground out. "Okay, people, I'm taking point. Sheppard, watch our sixes. Ford, stay between Sheppard and McKay at all times."

"Yes, sir." Ford and Sheppard mumbled as they followed his orders.

The team took off, heading into the brush with no real destination in mind. Theoretically, they could scour the entire planet and find the power source, but it would take far too much time and Marshall was pretty sure they didn't have the supplies to deal with something like that. He was already ticked that their radios wouldn't work, in an incident where they were separated and were making a run for it. This was just a bad situation, begging for some tragedy. As it was, Marshall was just hoping that they'd happen to trip over the power source and turn it off. It was the best plan they had so far.

Sumner was quiet, as usual, since there were no orders to be given out. Ford, Sheppard and McKay were talking amongst themselves. Ford and Sheppard were picking on McKay for various reasons, and the scientist was calm in his ego, knowing his "plan" was perfect and there was no reason to worry.

"So, McKay, how do you plan on finding this here power source for us?" Sheppard asked casually, grinning at Ford when the black man looked over his shoulder at his superior officer.

"Believe me," Rodney smirked as he puffed out his chest slightly. "I'll find it. I know exactly what I'm looking for. I mean, a field of this magnitude could only be powered by something very powerful. Possibly a zero point module, and it would be rather handy to have one of those."

"Really?" Asked John in a slightly sarcastic interested voice.

Rodney rolled his eyes. "Yes, Major, really." He really didn't have time to deal with simpletons. As much as he was interested in continuing this conversation with Major Sheppard, he had a lot of… technological and scientific thoughts to entertain. Yeah. Lots and lots of thoughts.

He was actually as clueless as to where to begin as the rest of them. But he was a genius. He couldn't very well admit his mortality to the lower mortals. He was close to being a god, after all. Except he wasn't creepy like a Goa'uld. That would just be weird.

And, you know, creepy and all.

"Keep on your toes." Sumner warned his team as he saw a break in the trees coming up, and one could never know what that meant. There were some crazy stories circling already about different teams running into odd natives and their strange rituals. One could never be too careful. "Sheppard?"

"Nothing, sir." John responded, his eyes following each movement of the forest.

Marshall nodded and despised how he had no idea what to do.

"Wait a minute!" McKay definitely sounded like he had a positive revelation. See, Sumner was learning.

Well, not really, McKay was just being really obvious. He probably wanted everyone to know how brilliant he was. Whatever.

"Ford, give me your compass." Aiden obediently handed over the device, and McKay examined it. "I think I'm onto something." Rodney looked up at the others, his face hopeful.

Aiden grinned, looking over McKay's shoulder. "I'm glad I brought it."

McKay looked at him condescendingly. "Oh, yes, what great forethought you have, Lieutenant."

"Thanks." Ford pretended like it wasn't sarcastic.

Sumner shifted and glanced at McKay. "So, where to?"

Rodney didn't respond, and immediately began leading them in the same general direction as they had been traveling, but he seemed to be veering slightly to the left, his eyes glued to the wonky compass. Sumner accredited his ability to lead his team in almost the right way to the power source of the electromagnetic field to his awesome innate sense of direction.

The team traveled for almost another hour when Rodney broke through the last uneven row of trees to an 

open field. In this field was a set of old ruins, stretching off into the distance for about the length of a city. Mostly, the ruins were weathered rocks with some inscriptions on them, and Sumner wasn't paying attention to them. That was the business of people like Dr. Jackson and other archaeologist/anthropologist/soft scientist types. His eyes were watching the tree line. He didn't have a good feeling.

Sumner glanced over his shoulder at McKay, who was explaining something about how the wonkiness of the compass could point them towards the power source.

"I was thinking more along the lines of saving a good Jumper." Sheppard responded when McKay said they wouldn't have to walk back to the Gate.

"Well, that too." Rodney accepted, and then made to start nosing through the ruins.

"Okay." Sumner turned to his team. "Sheppard, go with McKay to see if you can find anything. Ford, go fifty yards off and keep your eyes peeled."

But before anyone could follow anyone's orders, several figures jumped out from behind the ruins, proving Sumner's old war instincts correct. When Sheppard jumped back in surprise at being attacked, several more persons rushed from the trees and approached. All were carrying bows and arrows, and even spears, which Sumner thought was rather nifty (but he wasn't going to enjoy it if one of those spears found its way into his butt), and all of them seemed to be about high school aged. That was just disconcerting because, if they had lived on Earth, they would probably be carrying backpacks, iPods and cell phones, and would probably be more worried about making it to gym class on time instead of running around with spears.

Sumner lowered his gun. "They're children. Weapons down." He ordered. He didn't like it, as he could tell Ford and Sheppard didn't, but they were still kids. "Hello… kids." Marshall greeted them awkwardly, not sure what to say to a bunch of teenagers with spears.

"We're not here to hurt you." Sheppard told them, his voice slightly lowered, his tone soothing. "We're just… we're friendly, okay?"

"We came through the Stargate. The Portal, the Ring, whatever you call it." Sumner really was trying. He was. "We're only trying to get home."

However, the kids remained silent, simply staring at them.

Ford shifted. "I don't think they understand us."

"I think they do." Sheppard disagreed.

Then a young man who couldn't have been older than sixteen looked at Sumner. "You're a full grown."

"Excuse me?" Sumner raised his eyebrows at this kid. An odd statement, to be sure. "How old are you?"

"Fifteen." The boy answered, his eyes narrowed.

"Oh, I'm real threatened." Marshall stated sarcastically.  


"You should be."

"I'm not." Sumner assured him.

"You need to see the Elders." He stated, his dark eyes unmoving and emotionless.

Sumner shared a glance with Sheppard, who took the initiative. "Sounds great. Lead the way."

The same boy began to make his way through the crowd of his fellows and walked into the forest. Ford took point, and Rodney followed him. Sumner started forward, Sheppard falling into step beside him.

"Full grown?" Sheppard rhetorically asked.

Sumner could only shrug in response, and hope no one was going to get stuck with a spear soon. Messy business, spears.

XXX

Sumner hadn't quite expected this, he mused as the boy led them into the village. It appeared to be a fully functional village. There were children milling about, seemingly going about their daily business, haggling, doing business with one another, talking with their peers, and other such things. He definitely didn't like this. By their manner, these kids thought they were adults. Sumner hadn't seen anyone who looked over the age of twenty-one.

Suddenly, the boy threw an arm in front of Sumner, effectively stopping them. He raised an eyebrow at the kid, but suddenly, a rope ladder with wooden rungs was dropped. One boy held the ladder steady, and another boy climbed up. Ford looked around, and then spotted a seemingly random pile of metal and… a body?

"Colonel." He got his superior's attention.

Sumner turned to look at Ford, and then saw the same thing. The pile seemed to be piled carefully, and among the shrapnel was the body of a Wraith warrior in all of its armor. In a short phrase, it was really creepy. Sumner had seen a lot of dead bodies before, but dead alien bodies kind of topped anything he'd seen before.

"Now, where'd they get that?" Ford asked the air.

"Looks like a shrine." Rodney commented.

Sumner glanced at Sheppard. "Do they worship the Wraith?"

"That'd be a first." The major repressed a shudder.

McKay sputtered. "That'd be disturbing." He suddenly looked around, expecting any one of the particularly threatening looking twelve-year-olds to suddenly be a Wraith.

The boy suddenly appeared. "Wraith bones."  


"Yeah, we know." Sheppard looked at the kid.

"Its death bird fell out of the sky years ago. We keep it as a reminder of how life used to be." He explained offhandedly, though his eyes were burning with anger for the Wraith.

"Used to be?" Aiden asked, trying to prompt more information from the child.

"Before." The boy shrugged.

McKay leaned into Sheppard slightly. "'Fell out of the sky'."

"Yeah, I picked up on that."

Sumner was interested by that statement. "Think whatever knocked us down knocked the Wraith out?"

"It's possible." McKay considered the idea. "And if that's the case, we need to find it."

"Why?" Sheppard asked.

"Anything powerful enough to knock a Wraith Dart out of the sky is… well, it's kind of a big deal." McKay pointed out, looking around for any clues, obviously itching to get back to the ruins and find the power source.

Sumner made a slight motion to end the conversation as a boy ran up to whisper in the other boy's ear. The four men watched the exchange, until the runner left to go about whatever business a thirteen-year-old could have. The first boy looked at the full growns and nodded.

"The Elders are ready."

XXX

Sumner was first up the ladder, and Sheppard was next. Rodney was breathless from the climb, and Ford followed him. Rodney breathlessly waved to the two men present in the tree hut, and Ford simply stood in the background, much more comfortable with watching. Sumner took a step forward, Sheppard at his side. This was where Sumner needed Sheppard, at first contact where they could mesh their diplomatic styles and hopefully work together.

"Hi. Nice to meet you." Sheppard greeted cheerfully.

The one wearing a headdress nodded and smiled slightly in return. "I am Keras, one of the village Elders."

Sheppard nodded. "This is Colonel Sumner, and I'm Major Sheppard."

Sumner snorted. "Elders." He muttered derisively. "How old are you?" He had a feeling he'd be asking this a lot in this wacko village.

"Twenty-four." Keras answered, confused as to this man's rudeness.  


"And that makes you an elder… how?"

Keras ignored that question, and instead, continued with one of his own. "How did you get here, Sumner?"

Marshall had to give this kid credit. He used every weapon he had in his arsenal. Keras was tall, and seemed to be pretty strong, and he used inflections Marshall had never heard in a young man's voice to showcase his strength. He was very dignified and sophisticated… well, as much as a kid in a headdress could be. But he had something going for him, and Sumner decided he would respect him.

"We came here through the Stargate." He answered. "You do know of the Stargate, don't you?" He didn't want to have to explain that. It would take too long, and would waste too much time.

Sheppard jumped in to help. "It's this big… round… thing." He explained.

Keras nodded, and after a moment of thought, he shook his head. "No one has come through the Well," There was a new one. "For nearly five hundred years."

Sheppard nodded. "Well, here's the thing. We're a little… lost."

"And you are all… older than twenty-four?" Keras asked to clarify.

Sumner inwardly rolled his eyes. Of course the kid asked basically the same question he had asked. Whatever. He glanced back at Ford. "Ford, how old are you?"

"Twenty-five, sir." Aiden answered.

Sumner turned back to Keras. "Is that a problem?" His tone suggested he was looking for an argument.

Keras seemed to wilt slightly, and then lowered himself onto a seat. "Please, sit down." He invited, and Sumner was more than willing to accept. They'd been walking for nearly two hours, and while it wasn't the hardest thing he'd ever done, Marshall always welcomed a chance to sit down.

The other man stepped up to Keras. "They are trespassers, Keras. We don't have to explain ourselves to the likes of them." He shot a dark glare to Sumner as his team.

Keras gave them a grim smile. "I apologize. You are familiar with the Wraith?"

"Well, it's not like we're friends or anything." Sumner clarified.

Keras nodded. "Our ancestors were farmed by the Wraith. They tried to fight, but their weapons were inferior, and when they tried to hide, they were always found. But… then my ancestors found a way to beat the Wraith and protect our people."

"How?" Marshall asked.

Keras looked up, his eyes dark and serious. "None of us passes the age of twenty-four."

McKay didn't really want to ask, but… "How do you manage that?"

"On the eve of our twenty-fifth year, we make the Sacrifice, and pass into the Eternal Rest." The native Elder explained.

"What?" McKay squeaked.

"You kill each other?" Sumner's throat was oddly stuck, and the words came out strangled, in an almost hopeful way. As though he really knew the truth, but was willing to accept a lesser evil. Sheppard barely glanced over to his commanding officer, but decided it wasn't his business and acted like he hadn't noticed a thing.

"No; we take our own lives." The room was deadly silent, and Keras shifted uncomfortably, not understanding what the problem was. "And the Wraith have not returned for five hundred years." He finished, a tentative, yet brilliant smile on his face. His people had survived, and that was what mattered to him.

Ford didn't comment, but he thought it odd how Sumner's face paled dramatically at that revelation.

A short while later, as the Elders were discussing the situation, the team was congregated in the corner, Sumner standing a little off to the side, staring off into the distance, still quite pale.

"I've never felt so… old." Ford shuddered slightly.

Sheppard nodded, agreeing. "This is easily the most screwed up way of life I have ever heard of."

"They seem to accept it." McKay pointed out, his face showing his disgust at the thought.

"They're kids; what the hell do they know?" Sheppard rolled his eyes.

Ford seemed thoughtful for a moment before thinking. "These kids… they obviously don't know about the EM field, do they? I mean, it's not their communal suicides that are keeping the Wraith away."

"You're right. The Wraith don't come here anymore because the EM field. If they fly too close to the village, the field causes their Darts to crash, like what happened to our Jumper." Rodney agreed with Ford's musings.

"Why don't they take the village on foot?" Sheppard asked.

"Excuse me, maybe I'm not being clear." The usual arrogance was present in McKay's tone. "The EM field deactivates all of their technology. I mean, their Darts, their stunners… everything."

"Our guns still work, don't they?" Ford inquired, looking down at his P-90, worried.

"Yes, because they're relatively primitive. They don't generate an EM field." McKay answered easily.

Before their conversation could continue, Keras and Ares walked over. Keras spoke. "You may stay until you have fixed your ship, but you must work quickly. Your being here makes my people nervous."

Sumner nodded. "Fair enough. We'll work as quickly as possible."

McKay spoke up. "There may be something in the ruins where you found us that caused our ship to crash land."

Ares glared darkly. "They should be watched at all times." He didn't notice how Sumner flinched at his angry tone.

"Ares!" Keras shot an angry look at his fellow Elder, already planning a lecture to reprimand his colleague for being so rude to visitors.

"No, no." Sheppard shook his head with an amiable smile. "That's fine. Totally understandable."

Keras nodded, still obviously ticked off with Ares. "I'll choose two of the villagers to accompany you."

Sumner thanked Keras. "All right. Ford, go with McKay and see what you can do. Sheppard, you're with me."

"Yes, sir." Sheppard nodded to his superior.

"Great." McKay tried to sound enthusiastic, but he wasn't one for faking it.

XXX

"I always knew Rodney had an aversion to little kids, but I never pegged you as the type. You may be a hard, tough soldier, but I think you're just a teddy bear on the inside."

Marshall could barely even register the winning smile on his subordinate's face as he sat there, on a rotting log, simmering in his own misery and anguish. He wasn't simmering so much as boiling in it. His mind was being ripped apart by painful memories of a young man he'd lost. In his mind flashed images of a grinning teenager, being party-boyed by one of his friends, and then a ten-year-old crying because he'd fallen from a tree and broken his arm. Then a twenty-one-year-old, spitting out his first taste of an Appletini. Then a six-year-old, jumping up and down on a couch, excited because he'd read his first whole book.

Then an angry sixteen-year-old, screaming into his face, the teen's face red and the beginnings of furious tears burning in his eyes. Then the sorrowful face of a twelve-year-old who just wanted his father to come to his first school play. He'd never been in another one because of that.

One of the worst images was the fact of a broken seventeen-year-old who'd fallen in love for the first time, only to leave his girlfriend because his father had to move across the country for the military. That same seventeen-year-old had been sullen and quiet for five days, hardly saying a word to anyone, and then he snapped, screaming at his father because he missed his girlfriend more than he would miss breathing if his oxygen was suddenly stolen away.

"Colonel?"

Marshall looked up abruptly. He cleared his throat awkwardly. "What do you want, Sheppard?"

"I was just wondering… you've been out here for nearly an hour." The major pointed out, his wariness showing clearly on his face. "Ares was getting worried. You know how he gets fussy." When Sheppard saw Sumner was not open to any humor, he sobered up and continued. "I know the kid, Ares, is annoying, but…" John let that sentence drift off into nothingness.

"The kid's confrontational and angry. He's frustrated because he thinks he's right and he wants everyone to know it. He's tired of being second best to his friends. He's tired of being second best to someone he looks up to." Marshall stated quietly, his eyes on the ground. "This entire planet is completely screwed up. No child should have to kill himself before his twenty-fifth birthday because that's the worst thing that could happen." He was quiet for a long time, and when he finally did speak, his voice was eerily calm. "My son killed himself when he was twenty-three." His shoulders slumped.

John accepted his words silently, and merely lowered himself next to his commanding officer on the rotting log. His green eyes were fixed on the forest floor, and he could only sit there. There wasn't anything he could say, after all. Nothing was appropriate after such a revelation.

"I found him." Sumner's words were strangled, clawing at his throat as he forced himself to speak. "I was coming to his room to yell at him for some stupid reason. Maybe he'd forgotten to turn the TV off. I knocked loudly, but he didn't respond. I opened the door, already halfway into a reprimanding tirade when I saw him on his bed."

Sheppard just pretended like he hadn't seen Marshall wipe a few tears out of his eyes.

"He was just… lying there. He was on top of his blankets, still fully dressed. He had his band's shirt on and a pair of jeans. He looked so much like he was sleeping. I remember thinking that he wasn't moving and I knew his lips were blue, but... I really thought he was… and then I touched his arm, and he was so cold." Marshall pressed the palms of his hands into his eyes as he kept talking. "There wasn't a note or an explanation. But there were two empty bottles of Vicodin on the nightstand. He'd recently had a couple surgeries and he just took the pills he had left from both."

Sumner grit his teeth. "Such a waste of life. He was only twenty-three, two or three months from graduating college. He was going to go off to med school and become a surgeon. But I killed him, Sheppard." He admitted lowly. "I killed him. I was hardly even a father for him. If he screwed up, I yelled at him. If he did something right, I ignored him. I dragged him across the country because I couldn't stand the fact my wife had left me because I was such a bastard."

"And these kids… they think they're doing something right. Offing themselves. They think it's all good and fucking holy but they don't even know half of it. They have no idea what it does to… people…" Marshall knew very well these kids didn't have parents anymore and they'd been brainwashed all of their lives to think twenty-four years of peace was better than living a natural life span fearing the Wraith, and he hated them for it. He hated them for glorifying how he had lost his son. He hated them for not valuing themselves for what they were: children.

Darren Michael Sumner had been an angry person because of his father, but he'd also been a recognized talent and someone everyone loved in whatever community he lived in. He was in a punk rock band, and he liked to play bass and sing. He was very good at math and science, but hated anything that had to do with writing. He thoroughly enjoyed arguing with his teachers and getting himself in minor trouble, just to ward off boredom. He was one of those people who others just liked – a friend magnet, for lack of a better term.  


He'd fallen in love when he was seventeen with a girl he'd never forget, a pretty brunette who dearly loved to laugh and liked to cuddle on couches, and one thing his father hadn't known was when Darren died, he was thinking of that girl, and beginning to regret his decision when his fragile grip on his life slipped, and he fell into oblivion and whatever came after the darkness.

Darren had loved. He had been a great friend for anyone who needed one, and a fierce loyalist to anyone he was close to. He was willing to get into a fight if it was for the right reasons, and consequences be damned. He respected women because he loved his mom who he saw during his summers. His hero had been his father, no matter how much Darren hated him. He still respected the fact his dad was fighting for his country.

"I didn't go to his funeral." Marshall suddenly admitted. "I stayed in my apartment and drank. My ex-wife flew all the way from Texas to give me a copy of the video she had taken. I never watched it, but I brought it with me. I know he's gone, and I don't need a fancy ceremony to tell me I failed my son." He ground out, his strength finally failing him, and he slumped forward, his face in his hands.

"I'm sorry." John found that was the only thing he could say to a grieving man. He had never had a kid. He didn't know what it was like, but he knew it could only be one of the most world-shattering experiences someone could go through.

XXX

Ford was getting a kick out of this, seeing McKay surrounded by two kids. The two kids, a boy and a girl about seven or eight years old, were totally the cutest things Aiden had ever seen, and the older brother in him wanted to scoop them up and squish them, because they were just squishy like that. But McKay simply didn't know how to react around them, so he was condescending and mean. Ford thought it was hilarious, since he wasn't really worried with the kids being particularly traumatized, since one was already traumatized whenever one spent time with McKay.

He was overbearing, arrogant and could be rather mean. There really wasn't any other word for it – McKay was mean. He could have his moments of niceness, but they were very few and very far between.

"… I can't concentrate with your stupid little voices! Now, sit down and shut up!" McKay snapped, glaring at the cute little kids.

The little girl's chin started to tremble, and then she started to cry. McKay looked severely frightened by this, and he begged, "Don't… don't… don't!"

The little boy, obviously protective of his sister or friend, went up to McKay and started to punch him in the stomach. "You're mean!" He accused the scientist.

"Thank you for noticing." McKay rolled his eyes, but then grabbed the kid's fists when he kept punching. "You wanna go, you wanna go, huh?"

"Okay!" Ford finally announced, and picked up the little boy and set him near the girl. "You have a gift, man. You do birthday parties?"

"I have a purpose here." McKay reminded the lieutenant. "You deal with them!" Rodney shoved his way 

past the little kids and continued on, glancing down at the compass periodically.

Ford grinned at the two kids. "It's okay, kids. It's okay. He's just mad because you're smarter than he is." He suddenly got the most brilliant idea as to how to get these kids to feel better. "You know what chocolate is?" They shook their heads and his grin became ten times brighter. "Oh, man, this is going to be huge. Okay, let's go over here and leave the mean, old man alone."

Further down the path, McKay turned to the side, his eyes on the compass. In his present position, the needle had stopped shooting back and forth between north and west and had settled down, almost motionless. In front of him, there was a small cave with vegetation growing everywhere. But, once he stared at the vegetation for a long moment, he saw something glowing underneath it. He pulled away the vines and saw an Ancient device. He touched the top, and it raised up to reveal a glowing ZPM.

XXX

Eventually, Sheppard and Sumner stood up and went back to the village. Marshall had taken his leave from his second-in-command and went to see if he couldn't scrounge up any sort of information from others in the village, and John was studying how the village worked. Mostly because it was the twisted equivalent of people-watching.

John turned around when he felt a wooden ball hit the back of his thigh. He bent down and picked it up, a small group of boys looking at him expectantly. He smiled and threw it back.

Keras approached him, and greeted him. "Do you have young?" He asked, once the usual pleasantries were over.

John looked surprised at that question. "Me? Nah." He paused slightly. "Not yet, anyway. You?"

"Oh yes. They're raised in another village." At John's questioning look, he elaborated. "To keep family lines apart. There are twelve villages; most are smaller, but there are a few that are larger than this one."

John nodded, crossing his arms over his chest. "And no one's ever…" He shrugged. "About the Sacrifice? You know, run off and decided not to do it?"

"There has been hesitation, but we can be… persuasive." Keras responded.

"Look, I gotta tell you…" John grimaced slightly. "I don't understand this at all. Where we come from, we value life more than anything. I mean, Lieutenant Ford? He's just a year older than you. Imagine what he would have missed out on. And…" He hesitated, but supposed that Sumner wouldn't mind. "You know Colonel Sumner?"

"Yes." Keras nodded.

"He was married, and had a son, and then his son was almost done with his schooling to do something that he loved… but he killed himself." It was even harder to repeat it than it was to hear it. "I bet it's easier to think about when it's just you, but you don't think about how it could affect someone who's not used to this. This is killing him to even be here because all of this reminds him of the son he lost."

Keras looked surprised at the revelation, but continued on. "The time comes for me, and our way of life 

has been set in place for many, many years and it's not my place to question it."

"When?" Sheppard asked, trying to reconcile the fact that this alive, vibrant young man across from him was so willing to accept his death, easily.

"Tonight."

XXX

"… Fine." Sumner finally gave McKay the permission to take Ford and return to Atlantis to study the ZPM in the lab.

"Think it's safe?" Sheppard asked.

"No, but McKay's got that tone when he's really excited about something." Sumner shook his head. "I don't want the man who knows more about Atlantis than I do to be pissed at me."

"Good point." Sheppard agreed as Ares, who looked rather pissed, approached them both.

"Why were the guides sent back?" Ares demanded.

Sumner raised his eyebrows at him. "Perhaps it was their naptime." He returned in the same hostile tone, squaring his shoulders and purposefully making himself seem taller. He lowered his voice as he stepped closer to the younger man so only Ares could hear him. "If you have a problem, I am more than willing to beat you so far into the dirt you don't remember what daylight is like, but I would rather not. Now, do you have a problem?" And then he gave Ares the same piercing glare he rewarded any misbehaving Marine, and nearly grinned when Ares glowered and slightly stepped back, a primitive sign that he would not undermine Sumner's authority, at least not in the near future.

"Two of the full growns are out unwatched." Ares said to Keras, who shook his head, unconcerned.

"It's fine. I'm sure they won't cause any trouble." Keras tried to soothe his second-in-command's anger and fear, but he was unsuccessful.

"You should be preparing yourself for tonight, Keras." Ares pointed out, the desire for power flashing in his dark brown eyes.

"Fine. I will go prepare myself now." Keras shot a look at Sheppard, which invited him to follow.

XXX

Marshall heard his radio crackle as he watched the ceremony from several paces off, his face deathly pale and his hands shaking at his sides. He was eternally grateful for something to occupy his time other than the impending thought that Keras, kind, gentle-hearted and intelligent Keras, would be dead very, very soon.

"Sumner here." He muttered, moving further from the gathering, his voice quiet.

"Where's Sheppard?" McKay asked, surprised, since Sumner didn't deign to speak to him unless it was 

absolutely necessary.

"Participating in Keras' suicide ceremony." Sumner spat bluntly. "What do you want, McKay?"

"Ford and I are back in the old city. We're going to put the ZedPM back." McKay responded.

"Good." He snapped. "Where's the Jumper?"

"Outside the EM field."

"We'll be there once you're finished." Sumner tried to hold in the scream of agony that he wanted to let out as he saw the ceremony continue as he forced himself to say, "Sumner out."

Sumner suddenly saw Sheppard race over to the pile of Wraith bones. "Sheppard?"

"Colonel, we have a problem." Sheppard shot over his shoulder as he threw the skeleton arm he had picked up from the ground and sent several bullets into it, but it was already too late.

"McKay, get that field up NOW or I will be the least of your worries!" Sumner yelled into his radio. "Ford, help him!"

"Yes, sir!" Ford's young voice returned with urgency.

XXX

McKay was on his knees in front of the ZPM holder as he fitted the device back into its holster. The top of the device lit up, and the scientist pressed a few buttons on the side, but the ZPM stayed dark.

"What are you waiting for?" Ford asked, his voice slightly higher in fear.

"That should be it!"

"What?"

McKay turned to look up at the young black soldier, and stumbled over his next words. "There may be a slight chance that… um, in my haste, I broke it."

Ford managed to get a hold of his anger before he throttled McKay, and the scientist used the next several minutes to attempt and get the ZPM to work. In his own little world, he was as calm as could be expected, but the field wouldn't put itself back into place, and he didn't know what to do.

Sumner and Sheppard arrived some time later, and while Sheppard moved quickly to McKay's side to ask what was going on, Sumner hung back, his face a stony mask, hardly acknowledging Keras' sudden appearance. He couldn't effectively lead his team while he was burning with rage, but he managed to hold it together and he took several deep breaths as he focused back on the conversation.

"No, we must leave now!" Keras insisted.

Sheppard shook his head. "We can't do that. This isn't even about our ship, it's about the protection of 

your villages." He got right to the point.

Keras turned his head slightly, attempting to digest the information he'd just been given. "I don't understand."

McKay butted in briskly. "Your Sacrifices haven't been keeping the Wraith away; the field this device generates has."

"That's right; the Wraith have stayed away because they know they can't fight when they enter the field." Sheppard added.

"And the field doesn't cover your entire planet. It doesn't have that kind of power. The Sacrifices… they make sure your population doesn't ever grow too big for the shield. Look, they play a part in your survival, but not in the way you think." McKay rushed through his explanation, irritated this was taking so long, and irritated because he couldn't seem to fix the field.

Sumner sighed. "Sheppard, Ford, Keras, come on. Let's keep watch." Sheppard tried not to appear too surprised by the weary tone in the colonel's voice, but obeyed immediately.

And of course, less than a few minutes later, Ares and his little friends arrived, waving their bows and arrows.

"This is not the Well, Keras." Ares sneered.

Sheppard immediately stepped forward, angling his body so he could take an arrow for Keras if need be. "Look, it's my fault. McKay called ahead and said our ship was fixed. I was just saying goodbye."

"You think I am an idiot?" Ares took an angry, calculated step forward.

Sumner stepped in front of Sheppard and was up in Ares' face once more. "I think you're just a little bit cranky. Now, you can escort us back to our ship if you want. We'll even let you watch us leave." He offered with the smallest amount of diplomacy he could muster.

"Lead the way." Ares finally decided.

XXX

And after another delightful confrontation, Sumner found himself once again the target of Ares' friends' bows. His hands were tightly clasping his gun, but it was still pointed at the ground, as was Sheppard's, but he could see Ford was struggling with "fight or flight" and he gave the young man a compassionate shake of the head.

"You have brought the Wraith and destroyed all of our ancestors' work. Simply because you refused to leave when you were told." Ares accused them, but Sumner could see the boy's anger was faltering, no matter how furious he looked.

"It's not that simple." Sumner contradicted him.

"It IS that simple!" Ares spat back, and nodded to one of his boys, who carried a crossbow, and then pointed it at Sumner.

"Sir!" Ford and Sheppard immediately at their guns pointed at the crossbow holder.

"Hold your fire." Marshall ordered almost casually. This almost reminded him exactly of an argument with his son, except Darren had never had a weapon to threaten him with. He wasn't worried… until the crossbow went off and hit Keras in the shoulder.

Marshall snatched the younger man and lowered him to the ground. "Look what you've done." He shot at Ares.

"He's as guilty as you are." And Marshall believed that Ares thought that was true. Darren had always been so confrontational and narrow-minded when he was pissed. "We WILL defend ourselves, and you will not like that." The order for Sheppard and Ford to shoot a volley above the boys' heads was on the tip of his tongue when one of the villagers came racing towards them, shouting something about how the device was real and McKay had fixed it.

"Get the medkit, Ford." Was the only thing he could manage before a faint flash of a smile passed over his face as he looked down at Keras. "Hold on, kid."

XXX

The next day, a group of the villagers and a patched-up Keras had come to see them off. Sheppard was happily entertaining the young leader as the younger kids seemed to flock around McKay, for whatever reason. Sumner spotted Ares in the shadows of the trees, and made his way over there, noting the young man's flinch with hidden amusement. It was good for the kid to be wrong.

"I see Keras has forgiven you." Sumner remarked lightly, turning his back at Ares to look at Sheppard who was smiling and had a hand on Keras' shoulder. "His honor guard wouldn't have let you come near him."

"I guess." Ares muttered sulkily. "He said he didn't blame me at all, and he might have done the same in my position. In one day, you have come and changed the entire structure of our culture. What gives you that right?" He hissed.

"Nothing." Sumner responded, giving Ares a dark look, which softened fractionally. "You remind me of my son. I usually don't like meddling, but the only thing I will say is that you deserved a scare to get all of your heads on the right way."

Ares looked at him, confused, but accepted the odd words and would ponder them later. "I apologize for my abominable behavior. I should not have threatened you."

"You did exactly what I would have done, and what I have done on occasion." Sumner didn't say he forgave Ares, since Ares had threatened his team and that was an unforgivable offense in his eyes, but Ares nodded.

"See you around, kid." Sumner said over his shoulder as he went to rejoin his team and head back to Atlantis.


End file.
